Kryptonians Don't Breath Air
by Keep Moving Onwards
Summary: He was alive because of a fluke, but his friends did not revive.


Conner was all alone. No one else was left. His team, his friends, his Me'gan, they were all dead. His head was in his hands. Everyone he cared for was dead. Everything important was gone.

An awkward cough came from the door. He looked around to see that Black Canary stood in the doorway. "Conner?" she asked, "Are you alright?"

He glared at the floor and said nothing. He remembered Me'gan's body, limp beneath the waves, Wally's eyes wide with shock and hurt as he looked in his killer's eyes. He remembered being right next to them, but being helpless to save them. Why was he alive? Couldn't he have just died with them? Right, because of stupid Kryptonian genes, because he didn't need oxygen to survive. He couldn't believe it, that stupid taunt. The one he had used to distract the robots from Robin. He didn't even realize it was true. _You can't drown a kryptonian dumb ass! We don't breath air! _Whatever the reason, he was here now, and that meant that he had to do whatever he could, for his friends.

"Conner, I know this is going to be hard for you. You might never really be over it, but you need to talk to someone." Black Canary's eyes were filled with pity. He didn't need pity.

"Just….go."

She nodded, "when you need me, I'll be there."

Conner growled slightly. When the woman had left Conner lay back, remembering.

-Flashback -

The team was heading out on a mission. Artemis and Wally were arguing about something unimportant. Robin

When they were over the ocean, Conner knew something was wrong. Me'gan's unease was much louder through the bond to him than it was to the others, but they all seemed to notice.

Suddenly Me'gan gasped and fainted. Conner was at her side in an instant, with the other members of the team close behind.

The Bio-ship plunged into the sea and they all grasped onto the chairs to maintain their balance. When they were under water, the ship deformed around them, leaving them at the ocean bottom. Artemis and Robin each reached for breathing appliances, but found nothing.

Conner called mentally to Me'gan _'are you alright?' _he asked _'what's wrong?' _

She twitched but didn't regain consciousness.

Robin pointed up, indicating that they needed to get to the surface before they ran out of air. The team began to move, Conner holding Me'gan. When they seemed to be shortly below the surface they were stopped by some sort of glass wall. Artemis attached an arrow to it, and then moved away as the arrow exploded.

The glass remained undamaged and Robin began to hack away at it with one of the appliances from his utility belt.

They were running out of time. Artemis was starting to look sick, and Wally was pressed up directly on the wall, desperate for air. Conner looked back trying to signal Aqualad to help. Aqualad smirked in a strangely dark way. Before Conner or any of the others could react, lightning shot out from the leaders hands, attacking the team. Kaldur then quickly swam away, leaving his weakened teammates to drown.

Robin managed to get off a distress signal, but by the time the League arrived it was too late. The team was dying, and Conner was watching in shock, unable to do anything.

-Flashback over-

Conner buried his face back in his pillow. Would those memories ever stop haunting him?

"_Get up" _a voice said, causing Conner to look up startled.

He saw the ghostly, translucent forms of his dead teammates, standing over him.

Artemis spoke, _"You're not going to let him get away with this are you? He killed us!"_

"_You gotta get up and take him down." _Wally added.

Conner pushed himself up into sitting position, shocked by the spectral figures.

Megan looked at him, her eyes soft, _"Conner? Aren't you going to avenge me?"_

"No," Robin quickly interjected,_ "don't kill him, don't sink to his level. Drag his ass to jail so he can live a long time, paying for what he's done."_

Conner pushed himself off his bed. "You'll stay with me."

"_We'll help you take him down."_ Artemis replied.

Conner walked down the hall to where the majority of the League sat, looking solem.

"Where's Aqualad?" he growled.

"We're looking for him, don't worry, we won't let him get away with what he's done." Black Canary responed.

Conner glared "Aqualad betrayed the team, he's the team's responsibility, and you're asking me to stay out of it?"

"The League will find Aqualad and bring him to justice." Batman replied.

Conner looked to Robin's spectral form, _"he won't let us help"_ the boy answered the unspoken question.

"Aqualad is the team's responsibility. You **will **leave him to me." Conner growled, pushing past the adult heroes before they could contradict him.

-Two days later at docks in Bilah-

Conner hid in the shadows, watching carefully with his x-ray vision as the goons moved around. Conner smiled as he saw his target. He looked to his teammates, who nodded and he jumped on to the dock, causing a small seismic event and causing all of the goons to stop and turn.

Conner leapt at Aqualad, kicking him over. The Atlantian traitor fell backwards, but recovered quickly, kicking out his feet out at Conner.

Conner was unfazed by the kick and he grabbed a small weapon, one of robin's. He held it out taped it to one of the crates, setting it on fire. Kaldur flinched back and Conner punched him in the stomach, knocking the boy out.

- Later -

None of the league had been expecting Superboy to come back so soon. They particularly hadn't been expecting him to come back carrying Aqualad over his shoulder. He'd dumped the unconscious boy on the counter and left for his room.


End file.
